The moment Kairo stepped through the rift, the world changed.
Smoke clawed at the sky, and firelight painted the horizon in blood. The once-great city of Lysros—shining capital of the Western Alliance—was a battlefield. Broken walls. Screaming civilians. Monsters swarming like locusts. And in the center of it all, a tower cracked in half like snapped bone.
Kairo's boots hit the stone hard.
And his instincts kicked in harder.
> "MOVE!"
He rolled just in time as a massive claw shattered the ground where he'd landed. A wyvern—a twisted, scaled abomination with eight eyes and molten fangs—screamed and lunged again.
But Kairo was faster now.
Way faster.
---
He ducked low, surged forward, and leapt—his fist crackling with radiant energy as he punched through the creature's throat. The wyvern crashed to the ground, twitching once before it stilled.
People nearby stopped and stared.
A ranker in white armor blinked at him.
> "You… who are you?!"
Kairo stood straight, his aura pulsing with godlike power.
> "Just a guy who's done being stepped on."
---
The man pointed toward the heart of the city.
> "We're barely holding the line! The tower's going to collapse! We can't stop the Soul Reaver!"
Kairo's eyes narrowed.
> "Soul Reaver?"
> "A godspawn. It came from the sky—none of us can hurt it. Not even the S-rankers!"
Kairo glanced toward the tower—where a hulking figure cloaked in shadow tore apart squads with a single gesture. Its body looked stitched together from nightmares—its face a skull wreathed in flame.
> "Perfect."
---
He sprinted toward the tower, weaving between collapsed buildings and panicked civilians. His mind raced. This was no ordinary beast—this was something summoned. Sent.
By the gods?
By the Overseers?
Or something worse?
He had no answers—just power burning under his skin, and a new purpose roaring in his chest.
The closer he got to the tower, the thicker the corruption. Buildings twisted. Blood floated mid-air. The laws of reality bent and snapped like rubber.
Then he saw it.
The Soul Reaver.
Twenty feet tall. Horned. Cloaked in writhing shadows. A blade longer than a bus gripped in its clawed hand.
It turned.
And smiled.
> "Found you, little Fracture."
Kairo froze.
> "You… know who I am?"
> "Of course. The gods whisper your name in fear. And now… they've sent me to erase you before your ascension begins."
> "Too late."
Kairo's aura flared.
Silver and gold light blasted from his core, the mark on his hand glowing brighter than ever.
> "I already ascended."
---
They clashed in a blink.
The Soul Reaver swung its blade with monstrous speed—but Kairo ducked, spun, and uppercut the monster into the sky. It crashed into a cathedral, sending shockwaves through the city.
But it didn't stay down.
> "You strike well, boy. But you're not strong enough."
Kairo cracked his knuckles, eyes burning.
> "Then I'll get stronger."
He lunged again—this time summoning the Luminous Spear, a weapon formed from the fire he took from the Convergence Flame.
The Soul Reaver screamed.
> "THAT FLAME—IT'S NOT YOURS!"
> "It is now."
---
They fought in a dance of speed and destruction.
Each blow shattered the earth. Civilians ran screaming. Rankers watched from rooftops, stunned by the impossible sight of a lone boy holding his own against a godspawn.
Kairo fought with rage. With purpose. And most of all—with hope.
Because for the first time, he wasn't afraid.
The Reaver staggered.
Kairo flipped over its head, landed behind it—and drove the spear through its spine.
The creature roared.
And then fell.
---
Silence fell over the battlefield.
Then—cheers.
Dozens of soldiers flooded forward. Some bowed. Others cried. One captain stepped forward, armor dented, face bloodied.
> "Who… are you?"
Kairo turned, face half-lit by the dying flames of battle.
> "My name is Kairo. I was an F-rank."
He looked toward the broken tower, heart steady.
> "Now I'm just getting started."